Mel Gibson is calling on churches to pray as he prepares to bring one of the most important moments in human history to the big screen.
In a special video message to Pastor Samuel Rodriguez and members of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Gibson offered a new glimpse into the spiritual weight surrounding his highly anticipated film, The Resurrection of the Christ Part One, which is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2027.
“I’m so grateful to all of you and can’t wait for you to see The Resurrection of the Christ Part One in theaters May 6, 2027,” Gibson said.
But Gibson’s message wasn’t simply about promoting a movie. He issued a direct request to the church: Pray.
“Please prepare your churches to pray for us as we get ready to release the film in theaters next May,” Gibson said. “And thank you for all your prayers and support in leading your churches to The Resurrection of the Christ. God bless.”
Gibson also revealed that Rodriguez was with him in Italy during production, where he got a firsthand look at the work in progress.
“Pastor Samuel was with me on set in Italy during production and he saw firsthand the epic scale of what we’re putting together,” Gibson said.
The video also included powerful statements about the potential spiritual impact of Gibson’s latest project, with Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller declaring that the filmmaker is “preaching the gospel with this modern means.”
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“The Resurrection of the Christ is not just a film,” the Rev. Franklin Graham said in the video. “This is the greatest event in history and it’s being recreated right here so you can see it.”
Graham expressed hope that the movie “will touch the lives of millions of people,” while another described Christ’s resurrection as the very source of the church’s life.
More than two decades after The Passion of the Christ brought Jesus’ crucifixion to audiences around the world, Gibson is now preparing to tell what happened next.
The message of this next chapter is unmistakable: The resurrection is not simply the end of a biblical story. It is the foundation of the Christian faith.
As Pastor Samuel Rodriguez declared, “This right here, this is the exclamation point of Christianity.”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
